


stay with me

by somersaulter



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Episode 9, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, One Shot, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29957445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somersaulter/pseuds/somersaulter
Summary: “Come on, I’ll take you back to the hospital.”“No. I just want to go home. Take me home."It’s only until Kojiro settles him down onto a bed that doesn’t feel like his own when Kaoru finally realizes something isn’t right, “This isn’t my house.”Kojiro takes Kaoru home. Kojiro's home, that is.
Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Comments: 18
Kudos: 243





	stay with me

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after episode 9.

Kaoru blinks awake slowly, the wine glass sitting patiently on the table comes into view and he instinctively reaches out for it without bothering to lift his head. 

Just as Kaoru’s fingers touch the glass stem, a hand smoothly slides the glass just out of reach, “It’s stale.” 

Kaoru makes a small noise of irritation and winces as he finally lifts his heavy head, “Why are you still here?” 

Kojiro tilts his head and smiles indulgingly, “Because you’re still here.” 

Kaoru tries to maintain a neutral expression as a stab of self-loathing overwhelms him. He wants badly to drop his head back onto the table and fall back into unconsciousness. 

He didn’t mean to come here. 

But it was so quiet at the hospital. The nurse on duty had told him that the pain medication would induce drowsiness and help him sleep. That turned out to be a lie, at least in his case. He always had a problem sleeping. The voices in his head can be so loud. 

So as he lay in the hospital bed trying to will himself to sleep, his mind wandered. The moments before the impact of Ainosuke’s - no, Adam’s board on his face were surprisingly a blur. The clearest memory of the night is someone gently cradling his face, a familiar voice saying _Kaoru, I'm here, you’re_ _gonna_ _be okay_. 

That one voice cut through the noise in his head, looping like a broken record. In a drug-induced moment of weakness, Kaoru irrationally decided that the only way to get rid of that was to hear that voice again as soon as possible. 

“Come on, I’ll take you back to the hospital,” that voice says presently. “You really shouldn’t be drinking anyway, with all that medication in your system.” 

“No. I just want to go home. Take me home.” 

Kojiro is quiet for a moment, then he nods, reaching down and scooping Kaoru up into his arms. 

“Hey idiot, Carla can -” 

“She’s a hindrance,” Kojiro cuts in, nudging the front door open with his foot as he steadily holds Kaoru snug against his chest. 

The warmth from his body is startling and so distracting that Kaoru forgets to protest further. 

Kojiro carefully deposits him in the front seat of his car and heads back to lock up the restaurant. Kaoru sits in the cold seat, acutely aware of the warm imprints on one side of his body. 

When Kojiro slips into the driver’s seat, Kaoru makes an effort to glare at him, but it seems like the drowsy effect of the medication is finally working because his head is light, and he is sure his glare isn’t quite as vicious as he has hoped it would be. 

Clearly so, because Kojiro just chuckles, “Close your eyes. It’s just a short drive.” 

The car rumbles a soothing rhythm and Kojiro’s warmth in the enclosed space feels... 

_Kaoru, I'm here, you’re_ _gonna_ _be okay_. 

* * *

He next wakes when he feels himself being hoisted into Kojiro’s arms again. He stirs, lazily opening his eyes. 

Above him, the constellations burn. There’s an orange glow around him. Everything feels dense and weightless at the same time. 

Maybe drugs and alcohol really aren’t a good mix. Maybe he’s just dreaming. 

It doesn’t really matter, Kaoru decides. 

He shifts his eyes away from the dark sky to take in Kojiro’s defined jawline and the smooth incline of his neck half buried in shadows thrown from the orange streetlight a little farther down the road. 

Kaoru subconsciously tries to lift a hand to reach Kojiro’s face, but his arm doesn’t obey. He frowns at the sling unhappily. 

“Is it hurting?” Kojiro asks, a similar frown creasing his forehead. 

Kaoru shakes his head, tilting his head to lean into Kojiro, “I’m just dreaming.” 

Kaoru could feel the gentle vibrations from Kojiro’s chest as he laughs softly, “Okay. Well, we’re home.” 

It’s only until Kojiro settles him down onto a bed that doesn’t feel like his own when Kaoru finally realizes something isn’t right, “This isn’t my bed. This isn’t my house.” 

Kojiro hasn’t switched on any lights, but the curtains are thrown open and light from outside filters in enough for Kaoru to see the smirk on Kojiro’s face. 

“I’ll make you some camomile tea,” Kojiro says instead and pulls the blanket above Kaoru before stepping out. 

Kaoru tugs the blanket up to his nose and inhales. 

Clouds. Everything here smells like Kojiro, and clouds. 

His drug-induced sleep haze seems to be slowly dissipating and he gingerly sits up in bed, adjusting the pillow behind him. 

A slice of light peeks through the bedroom door left slightly ajar. He could hear Kojiro running the tap, probably in the kitchen. The clinking of mugs, the opening and closing of the kitchen drawer, the murmuring of boiling water. Everything sounds magnified in the dark, even his own thoughts. 

It felt like his heart had died the moment Adam slams the board over his head. Something inside him shattered in that moment. 

It wasn’t something completely unexpected. The decay had started years before, eating away at his chest every time Adam disregarded him, not even willing to spare a glance his way. 

The shattering is a familiar pain, a pain he’s used to, almost addicted to. Except now in the aftermath, it feels like the pain has hollowed him out. His heart is gone, the pain is gone too. 

He’s surprised to find that the memories of when they were younger are faint, blurry around the edges. It’s hard to remember what Ainosuke’s eyes looked like. The stronger memories were those of Adam’s flamboyant mask and sadistic grin, gilded with cruel malice. 

He suddenly isn’t even sure what it was that he was holding on to all these wasted years. 

He’s pulled back from his thoughts at light footsteps padding quietly towards him and he looks up to meet Kojiro’s brown eyes, reflecting the light spilling into the room from the open door.

Kojiro sits down on the bed beside him and places a steaming cup of tea on the bedside table, “It’s hot, be careful.” 

Kaoru glances at the clock on the table and is taken aback by how late it is. He frowns, “How long was I asleep for at the restaurant? You could have just woken me instead of sitting around and waiting.” 

Kojiro shrugs, “It’s fine. I like watching you sleep.” 

“It’s when you’re most tame,” Kojiro adds flippantly, eyes sparkling.

Kaoru can’t tell if he’s entirely joking but there’s something in Kojiro’s eyes that makes Kaoru instinctively look away, so he picks up the cup of tea, taking a sip just to have something to do. 

“You wanted closure,” Kojiro says suddenly. There’s a shift in his tone, palpable in the air. “Did you find it?” 

Kaoru burns his tongue on the hot tea and inhales sharply. Kojiro takes the cup away from him carefully and places it back on the table. 

Kaoru rubs a hand over his sling as the question hangs heavy in the space between them. 

After what feels like a long time, Kojiro shifts, as if to leave, and an illogical fear pushes Kaoru to reach out to halt his movement, blurting out, “Yes.” 

Kaoru slowly releases Kojiro, sighing, “Yes.” The sadness and relief flood his senses and Kaoru fights the overwhelming impulse to curl up underneath the blanket. 

Kojiro’s smile doesn’t quite seem to reach his eyes and Kaoru realizes he’s probably just as tired as he is. 

“Thank you for waiting,” Kaoru says. He didn’t mean the couple of hours Kojiro just spent waiting for him while he slept. 

It’s much more than that, so much more. 

_I don’t deserve you_ , Kaoru thinks, and a pain sharper than what he had ever known writhe in his chest, making it hard to breathe. 

Kojiro nods, “Go to sleep. You need the rest.” 

When he makes a move to stand, Kaoru can’t stop himself from reaching out again, pulling at his hand. 

_Stay with me_ , he wants to say. 

When Kojiro raises an eyebrow questioningly, Kaoru feigns a careless tone and says instead, “Didn’t you say you like to watch me sleep?” 

“I did say that,” Kojiro replies lightly, turning his hand to slot his fingers through Kaoru’s. 

* * *

Kaoru wakes up to the sun pouring into the room, radiating warmth. He turns to his side. The soft slant of morning light envelopes the still slumbering Kojiro in a diffused glow. 

Kaoru reaches out a hand and lightly runs his fingers along Kojiro’s jaw and he’s suddenly keenly aware of how much he has wanted to do this. 

He can’t recall when it was that he first wanted to do this, but it feels like he has always wanted to do this. 

Kojiro stirs and he captures Kaoru’s misbehaving hand, running his lips over Kaoru’s fingers languorously. 

_I want more_ , Kaoru thinks. The thought is like a crash without a sound, its impact reverberating through his bones. 

“I want more,” Kaoru says, because he’s tired of holding back. 

Kojiro slowly blinks the sleep from his eyes, and his hold on Kaoru’s hand tightens for a moment before Kojiro leans forward and brushes his lips against Kaoru’s forehead. 

“Okay,” Kojiro replies, and the simple word darts across Kaoru’s skin and burrows into his revived heart like a promise. 


End file.
